Just a little more time
by GraceKnight14
Summary: When Regina and Robin come back from the Underworld, Roland starts to act in a strange way. It seems that their little trip away from Storybrooke wasn't without consequence. DimplesQueen and outlawqueen All the way. Enjoy.
Regina woke up to the smell of coffee. It was Sunday, and she hadn't slept like this in ages. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand, it was already 10:30. She got up from bed and took the robe laying on the chair next to her vanity. She covered herself and went down the stairs. She entered the kitchen on tiptoes, not wanting to disturb the beautiful scene which laid before her very eyes.

Henry was trying to show Robin how to use her mother's coffee machine properly. Robin seemed extremely focused, eyes narrowed, frowning. Roland was sitting on the counter next to the sink, busy eating a toast, half of the peanut butter on his pajamas, and the other part on his face. His father seemed completely oblivious to his son's current state, too annoyed with modern technologies to notice.

"Why does this device need to be so complicated? Why are there so many buttons? Couldn't it be just one button with "press here" written on it? Now that would be much more logical!" Cried Robin, now very visibly irritated.

"Come on, Robin, It's not that hard, wait until I show you the washing machine…" Henry was clearly enjoying this, trying very poorly to restrain a smile.

The two of them were interrupted by the sudden cry of the four-year-old little prince of thieves. "Reginaaaa! You're uuupp! Henry was trying to show Papa how to use the coffee machine! But Papa already did it twice and it's still disguuuuusting! You should have seen his face when he tasted it!" Roland had said it all in one breath, his mouth still half full.

He lifted his arms towards Regina, she picked him up quickly and put him on her hip in a comfortable and practiced movement.

"Honey, do you have any idea what you look like right now?" She said, scrubbing her nose against Roland's which made the boy giggle. She picked a tissue on the kitchen island and started cleaning up his face.

Suddenly she felt two strong hands coming from behind and resting on her shoulders, thumbs rubbing her neck.

"Hello my love, had enough beauty sleep?" She leaned against his touch and let him massage her tensed muscles a little.

"I haven't sleep like this in years. It felt really good actually…" She said in a whisper, her eyes closing under Robin's attentions.

"Hey Mom, we tried to make you breakfast, but I think it's safe to admit that if you weren't there, we would all starve to death… So we made toasts, and bad coffee! How lucky you are to have us!" Henry said, a smirk mixed a bit with an apologetic look.

"It's perfect honey, thank you" she said, smiling warmly.

She suddenly felt tiny fingers pushing Robin's hands and circling her neck. Roland rested his head in the crook of her neck. Regina turned around to look at Robin who was restraining a laugh at his son's possessiveness.

"Someone's a little jealous" he whispered to her ear.

Roland lifted her head and looked at Robin with all the seriousness a four-year-old could manage

"I'm not jeaaalous! Gina loves me more than you, she told me yesterdaaaay! Right, Gina?" Regina lifted her hand to the little boy's wild curls.

"Of course I love you more my beautiful boy."

"Really, is that so?" Robin asked with a smirk.

"Well, look who's jealous now?" Regina said.

After breakfast, Regina retreated to her study to get some work done. After spending three weeks and a half in the underworld, she had a lot to catch up. Her mind was now entirely focused on this awfully boring paper work when she felt something on her right leg. She looked down and recognized this miniature of Batman as her favorite little boy. He must have forced his father to let him wear his precious costume again. Ever since Henry had shown him his Batman comics, Roland had been obsessed with him. Plus, everything that Henry did was just so cool, that Roland had to do the same of course.

"Well, who do we have here?" Regina whispered.

Roland looked up and climbed easily on Regina's lap. He turned around facing her desk and stared at the paperwork.

"What are you doing Rwig, Reagee…Gina?!" The boy was still unable to pronounce her name properly. Robin had starting to get worried that his five-year-old was still unable to say the name, but Regina secretly loved it and didn't mind it at all.

"It's for work honey, I'm sorry I have to do this on a Sunday, but I was gone for a while and now I have a lot to do." Regina said, burying her nose in the little boy's hair.

"Why did you have to leave?" he asked shyly, still not looking at her.

"Sweetheart, remember what your papa said about Emma's friend, Killian? He needed some help, so we had to leave to go and help him."

"So, you didn't leave because of me?" he asked, finally turning around to look at her.

"What? Sweetheart, why would I leave because of you? You didn't do anything wrong?" she said, frowning, so worried that he could think even for a second that he was responsible for any of this.

His little chin started to tremble and his eyes watered.

"Bbbeecause the day you le-left, Papa was aangry at me for dddrawing on your wall in your be-bedroom." He cried.

Regina felt her heart shatter in two, that's why he had refused to leave her ever since she had come back. He thought that she was angry at him for drawing Shrek on that stupid wall. The poor baby was traumatized.

"Roland, she lifted his chin to make him look at her, I want you to listen very carefully". He opened his eyes wide, watching her every move, probably excepting to be scolded. "You are, in no way, responsible for what happened. Your Papa and I leaving had nothing to do with you. Parents do not leave their children because they drew on a wall. Parents never ever leave their children, you hear me?"

Roland started crying softly, trying to hide his face against Regina's breast.

"But Mama left me… And she never came back." He whispered so low that Regina barely heard it.

Regina closed her eyes tight and breathed deeply. Tears were threatening to fall but she refused to fall apart in front of this little boy. She had to be strong, she had to show him that she was strong and that nothing would ever take her away from him.

"Roland, you know that I love you right?" He nodded softly, his eyes locked on his little hands, playing with her hair. "Your Mama left, that's true. But baby, she didn't leave _you_ , she would have done anything to stay with you, the thing she loved most. But, she was sick and so she had to go to another world, a world where Mommies can watch over their beautiful children." She stroked his hair tenderly, soothing him. "But, honey I am strong. I have magic remember?" she said, smiling to him. He looked up, returned her smile and nodded energetically.

"Papa said you have the strongest magic because you have black and white." He said giving her a very wide grin.

"And that is true. I want you to believe me when I tell you that I will always be there to take care of you and that no matter what you do, if you do something wrong, if you make a mistake, I will never ever give up on you. Because I love you. Now come here and give me a big Batman hug."

Roland jumped and circled her neck with his little arms. He hugged her so strongly that she thought she was going to choke. A quiet knock on the door of her study interrupted her thoughts. Roland loosened his hold but didn't let go of her. Robin walked in and looked at Regina with surprised eyes.

"Roland, my boy, Henry needs a partner to play Mario Kart, he's waiting for you in the living room." Robin said.

"Okay!" Roland cried out. And just like that, he was happy again, his previous sadness forgotten.

Robin walked around the desk and kneeled in front of Regina, taking her hands in his. That was it for Regina, tears started to flow down her cheeks. Robin brought her to him and held her tightly against his strong and warm chest.

"What happened, my love?" he whispered in his ear.

Regina took a deep breath and lifted her head to look in his comforting blue eyes.

"He thought that we had gone to the Underworld because of him, because of this stupid drawing he made on the wall. He thought that I was angry at him for THAT! Robin, what kind of parent am I to let him believe _that,_ to let him think that I would abandon him for something so insignificant?! … And why the hell are you smiling like an idiot right now?" She snapped, unable to hold back a smile of her own at seeing his goofy and happy face.

"You said "Parent", that's the first time I have heard you acknowledge Roland as your own" he answered.

"Well… I thought that was clear, I mean you take care of Henry too when he is here, it-"Robin interrupted her before she could go on.

"No I know, and I do it with great pleasure, Henry is a wonderful boy. But it's one thing to do something out of duty and another to do it out of love. I know that it's a big thing to ask you but-"

"I will do it. I will be his mother Robin. You know I could not live me without him. Being separated from him would kill me." She ended in a shy voice.

"I know my love, and that's why I love you so much." He said, lightly stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

The little Mills-Hood clan had decided to join everyone at Granny's that night to celebrate their return and Hook's rescue. Henry was chatting with Emma and the _Uncharmings_ and Robin was laughing and drinking beer with Hook and his men.

Roland seemed a little lost in this huge crowd. He had been glued to Regina ever since they had arrived. So here they were, Roland in her lap, both sitting in a booth in a corner of the diner. Roland was having some trouble with his hamburger, too big for his little mouth. The tomatoes, half of the salad and the ketchup were slowly falling back on his plate. Regina chuckled softly at her little boy's struggling.

"Here sweetheart, let me help you."

"Okay" he said in his sweet little voice.

Regina started cutting his hamburger in tiny pieces and feeding Roland which he seemed very happy with. Regina looked down at his young and innocent face, looking around while opening his mouth for Regina to give him another bite of his "favorite food ever". He was such a sweet boy she thought, so good and so loving.

"Regina can I get ice cream?" Roland asked suddenly.

"Oh but Honey you're not finished with your hamburger yet, how about we finish that first?" she said, a little surprised by his request.

"Pleaaaase" he begged, looking at her with puppy eyes that she could not resist.

"Alright sweetie, what kind of ice cream do you want?" she asked him with a tender smile.

"I want the same as Heeenry!" he shouted, jumping up and down on her lap. Regina lifted her eyes and saw her son, sitting at the counter with Mary-Margaret eating what seemed to be a very big chocolate-vanilla ice-cream with cream on top. _Now I understand this sudden fuss about ice cream_ , she thought to herself.

"This one seems a bit big for you don't you think?"

"I am big too! I can eat what Henry's eating!" he said, pouting a little.

 _Oh, he certainly can't, he will end up leaving half of it._

"Well, how about we share it?"

"But Gina, I'm big enough!" he answered, the beginning of a tantrum not too far away.

"I will order the ice cream and if you can't finish it I will help you okay." She said, trying to deal with his stubbornness, clearly the result of a tired little boy who had by far passed his bed time.

"But, I _will_ finish it" he replied.

"Roland, be a good boy plea-"

The shout of her name interrupted their little exchange. Belle was running to her, out of breath, her cheeks red from the cold and the obvious panic she was in. She put one hand on the table to regain her balance and catch her breath and the other on her chest. All eyes in the dinner were on them.

"Regina… It's Rumple, he says he needs you now. Someone stole one of his potions apparently. He says he needs to talk to you. I tried to call you, but you weren't answering…"

"Yes I left my phone at home. I wanted a night off but it seems that it is not going to happen."

"I'm sorry but Rumple said it was urgent." Belle said, her tone pleading and agitated.

"And why should I care about his precious little potions?" she snapped, tightening her hold on Roland who seemed a little anxious because of their conversation.

"Because it's the true love potion he made with your hair and Robin's", she whispered apologetically. You could see that she did not approve of her husband's actions, but well, what could you do to prevent Rumple from doing those kinds of things behind your back. That man was the sneakiest human being Regina had ever encountered.

"He did WHAT?!" she screamed. She couldn't believe in Rumple's betrayal, one more, again. The man who had claimed to want her to be happy, had once again manipulated her and betrayed her.

"Why would he do something like this?! He had no right!" she shouted. Roland whimpered and started to shake a little in Regina's arms. She looked down and saw that he was trying to hide his face as best as he could but she could still see his scared eyes full of tears. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, this wasn't worth scaring her little boy like this.

She saw Robin approaching their table, worry written all over his face. He put a hand on his shoulder and tried to get her to look at him but her eyes were closed tightly. He did not push her and let her compose herself.

"Regina, what is it?" He asked, his tone calm and soothing.

"It would seem that Rumple used us to make a new true love potion." She said in a low, irritated voice.

"Did it work?"

Regina turned her head to him and looked into his hopeful and loving eyes. She nodded, and all he could do was smile widely and kiss her forehead.

"Why are you so upset then?"

"Apparently, that imp was stupid enough to let someone take it from him. Who knows what that person could do with it now…"

"Could it be turned into dark magic?"

"I don't know, Gold was the first to ever be able to create a love potion, I am not sure what it could do, but I know it's not good." She answered, a voice low and threatening again.

"Regina, Rumple really needs you at the shop."

"Fine, I'll come, just give me a minu-"

Roland suddenly got up and thrown himself on her, circling her neck with his arms as tightly as his little arms could manage. He was shaking again, and seemed completely lost. Regina immediately hugged him back and tried to look at his face but she couldn't in this position.

"Gina, please take me with you! Please, please…" He cried in her neck.

She felt like she had been punched in the stomach, and suddenly the weight of the world was on her shoulders again. He thought she was abandoning him again.

"Roland, baby, I won't be long, and I will be back before you know it" She said, trying to calm him as best as she could, stroking his back with her hands.

"Nooo, with you, with you, please. I'll be good I promise" He pleaded.

She looked at Robin who seemed as affected as she was. He understood her silent request and kneeled next to them. He put a hand on his son's back and started to draw comforting movements on him as well.

"Roland, my boy, Regina needs to go but not for long. She's not leaving forever, she would never leave you, you know that right? She loves you Roland, she will always come back to you, you don't need to be so scared."

Roland lifted his head a little away from Regina's neck to look at his father.

"I know that Gina loves me but I want to stay with her still." He said in a voice full of tears and worry.

Belle was now on the phone a little further away from the little family, obviously caught up in a very heated conversation. "I know it's important Rumple. She's coming… Yes, yes, we will hurry. Okay I'll tell her… Oh you know what? Maybe you shouldn't have done this potion in the first place and we wouldn't be in such a mess… I kno-"

Regina turned her head back to Roland who was looking at Belle fearfully, as if she was going to take his Gina away.

"Roland sweetie, I'm going to leave you here with Henry and your Papa, and I'll be back very soon okay."

"Regina, we need to go." Belle said in a final tone, already heading for the door.

"I KNOW" Regina snapped.

"Robin, please help me." She whispered so low, that only he could have heard her, not even Roland. Robin nodded unwillingly and reached for the boy. The moment his father's arms took him, Roland started crying and struggling to get back to Regina.

"Regina go!" Robin said in a strong voice that she had almost never heard him use with her before. She startled a little and grabbed her coat and her purse. She started to walk to door, trying to keep her head high with all these eyes on her. But she couldn't her eyes from watering and her chest from clenching. She felt like the worse mother on the planet – hell, she felt like the worse human being on the face of the earth. She turned back to see Robin taking Roland to the back of the diner to calm him. She took a deep breath, and went out to join Belle.

Four minutes – that's the time she had managed to stay at Gold's shop listening to his rambling speech about a new threat in town. All she could think about was her baby, because that's what Roland was to her she realized - her baby. Her beautiful child that she had left crying and screaming at the dinner to come here, to see Rumple, from all people.

"I'm… I'm sorry, I-I have to go" she mumbled before running out of the shop as fast as she could, slamming the door open and probably breaking Gold's precious bell at the same time.

She vaguely heard Gold calling her name but all she could think about was getting to Roland as fast as she could. She jumped in her car, drove like a mad woman across Storybrooke and finally made it back to the dinner. She slammed the door of her car, not even bothering to lock it, and climbed the few stairs in front of Granny's. She opened the door violently and ran in. Everyone was staring at her again. She realized that she must have looked pretty crazy, with her disheveled hair and her red puffy eyes from crying in her car. Emma took pity on her, and walked to her.

"They are right there." She pointed at a booth on the left and Regina spotted them. Robin's back was to her but she recognized him immediately.

She went straight to them. When she saw the state Roland was in she couldn't hold back her tears. His eyes were red from his tears which had stained his chubby little cheeks, and he was still hiccupping from all this crying.

"Roland…" She whispered.

Both Roland and Robin looked up and Roland immediately reached out for her. She took him in his arms and cradled his head against her chest. He circled his neck with his arms and took a light hold of her hair. Robin sighed deeply and got up from his seat.

"Regina, what happened, did you even get to Gold's shop?"

"I couldn't Robin, I'm sorry, I know I'm being irrational, and I need to fight this but I just couldn't okay…" she cried. She knew she wasn't making much sense, and that her attitude was probably only making things worse for Roland but she couldn't help it, she couldn't be the source of his pain.

"Regina, my love it's alright." Robin stroked Regina's cheek lightly. "But this cannot go on, Roland has to learn that you can't always be with him."

"I know, I know, but he needs more time Robin, _I_ need more time, I'm sorry." She whispered, slightly self-conscious of the people surrounding and staring at them.

"Regina, don't ever apologize for being the mother that you are. You are amazing, and I'll give you all the time in the world. But I also want you to remember that none of this is your fault and that Roland will get over this, okay? He will be okay."

"Are you sure?" She said, in a voice so insecure that Robin barely recognized it.

"I promise" He said, in this strong and soothing voice that had the power to ground her and reassure her like nothing else.

Roland slept in her bed that night, surrounded by both of his parents, and Regina knew this would probably not be the last but she had faith that it would work out. That Roland would trust again that his parents wouldn't leave him. That this was forever.

Regina watched her son sleeping next to her, or more precisely, on her, half of his little body lying on her and she breathed him in. She was so happy like this, the three men of her life under the same roof. Henry might well be a little too old to sleep with her now but he would always her baby as well. Two sons, and who knows maybe once Gold would find his love potion, she would be able to use it to break the curse she had put on herself, and hope for another child… A child born of soulmates.


End file.
